This invention relates to a beverage delivery system and more particularly to an arrangement for transporting and delivering beverage containers on demand from a storage and cooling area upwardly to the top surface of an item of furniture, such as a chair arm, ping pong table or bar.
When a person is playing a game, reading or just drinking, he may wish to quickly obtain a cooled containerized beverage which is close at hand. The present invention is directed to a unique system for satisfying the person's need.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a generally sealed container storage and cooling chamber is disposed beneath the furniture surface. A container transport device is disposed in the chamber and is adapted to present one container at a time to a vertically oriented delivery device.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the delivery device comprises a generally cylindrical vertical guide channel having a container release opening in its side and which communicates with the transport device. The top of the said guide channel forms an access opening in the top surface of the furniture. A feed piston is slideably mounted in the guide channel and is movable between a lowered and a raised position.
When the piston is in its raised position, its side wall blocks the container release opening, and its top wall forms a support for a beverage container and may also complete the top furniture surface. When the piston is in its lowered position, a beverage container is delivered by gravity through the release opening and onto the piston top wall.
A motive device is provided to lower the piston into container receiving position and to then raise the piston and beverage container to provide access by the user to the beverage. The top wall of the piston may be positioned flush, above or below the top furniture surface.